Regular inspection and testing of steam generator tube sheets is critical to the operation of a steam generator plant. Tube sheets are arrays of parallel tubes that can be accessed at least one end wherein the tube ends are arranged in an single plane. Testing of each tube is delicate and time consuming. In the past, this has been done by manually placing testing probes in the tubes. Described herein is an improved automated apparatus for positioning test and repair equipment in a tube sheet for steam generators.
Desirable attributes of such an automated apparatus include: single person fast installation; integrated grab features for handling; protection bumpers; independent of tube sheet and steam generator features; simplified cable systems and single point cable connection; simplified calibration; ease of decontamination; complete integration with data acquisition systems; fast, accurate performance; and support for repair tooling.